The Portland daily press., 1887-07-22
FRIDAY MORNING, JULY s2.
ONE JULY AFTERNOON.
Farm and Fireside.1


swell, get it ready then. wouldt go,
but Bob's broke the rake, and it's got to be
fixed; and we have the rest of that hay to
be put in before night; and 1t looks ike
rain, too. I'll be around in five minutes,
and don't want to have to walt. Put the
eggs in bran, as l am going fast, and fix the
butter up right away" And he turned and
walked few steps, then paused and called,
make out a list of what you really need,
too"
Il wish could have gonew sighed Mrs.
Harris, loud enough for her husband to hear.
He frowned.
"Oh, yes, that's the wayl What on earth
do you want to go to town for? It'll take
you till shutdown to get ready, and the
baby'd squall all the time. Can't get ey-
erything?"
''oh, yes, suppose can't go; I've enough
to do here; but thought, perhaps"
She paused and her husband, as if wait
ing for the pause, turned and walked quick
ly away.
Mrs Harris's thoughts were busy enough
as she hastened to the cellar. ''Oh, dear p
she sighed, 81 do want calico dress out of
this butter money, and it won't be twenty
cents a pound much longer. I'm afraid Win
won't get it if | ask him, but it seems as if
could not hear this any longer, it's so
warm
And she looked down at the faded blue
worsted that had Teen her best once, but
which had been worn all winter until now
July-nearly all the time. 1t was very
warm looking dress, and on this afternoon
her flaming cheeks and moist features did
not need much to assert how uncomfortable
she was. She was interrupted with an en-
phatic whoa, nowl" from without, before
the butter was quite ready. The baby
above, awakened by. his fathers loud voice.
down to the nervous woman IN impatient
accents;
are getting awful slow. could have done
three times what, you have IN TINS time, ne
added, as she came up from the cellar with
a heavy three-gallon jar in her arms. He
sat in the spring wagon composedly as she
placed the butter in, and watched her go
back for and fetch the large basket of eggs.
''Now, what do you needP" he asked,
gathering up the lines.
She told him quietly, and then nervously
CHANGING into his face, she added:
81 guess there'n be enough left for some
Calico"
"Calico! Did | ever! whats that for?"
''Me. A dress"
Did her face look fearful? 1t was unno-
ticed.
you've got dozen. what ais that oneT
rhat'll last a year yet"
sits SO warm, viii, it nearly makes me
sick to wear it. If l had callco-Just a
cheap one; ten yards will dol could put
this away for winter use."
"Oh, nonsense! where's all tnat glng-
ham you got?"
She glanced at his own garments.
Part of it is on your own shoulders, and
the rest was used the same way for you and
the children"
He made no reply, except to chirrup to
the horses and begin to turn the wagon
round. Then, catching glimpse OF her face,
something of his better nature Qor he was
not bad man at heart stirred within him,
and he said:
I'd known I'd be this late starting, you
might have gone; though don't see why
you wanted to go, for it hasn't been three
months since you Went to town ana stayed
half the afternoon. Get up. Charlie!" And
he was soon out of sight in cloud OF dust:
Mrs Harris felt like sitting down on the
shady doorstep as she turned to go In, but
she knew she could not. The baby mad
Ntired itself out crying, ana was lying SOD
hing in the CRADLE The dinner-table was
lust as they left it, and that must be done
before supper. She gave glance towards
the green trees and white tombstones OF the
graveyard close by, and suppressed quickly
the bitter sigh that arose at the Thought OF
three little graves over there which held sa-
cred dust, She long ago had seen it was bet
ter thus. She sat down to soothe the Sob
bling baby, and under his mothers gentle
touch he soon gave signs OF more comforta-
BILE state She was very tired; she had done
a hard days work already, and was not half
done.
Mr.. Harris had quantity OF hay down,
and kept himself and the boy and two hired
men busy. OF themselves, there were only
the father, mother, and two children, the
oldest and youngest OIL the I'VE. WE'VE
fured, Woodworking, ambitious VIII Harris,
who. every one said, would make money!"
and they said, also, that he had done unusu-
ally well in securing Mollie Saunders for his
wife. How golden the coming years looked
TO them then! M0llie was graceful, lively,
and the prettiest girl in the country, and ev-
erybody knew she had taken the premium
for her butter and was far-famed for her
bread-making. But it was Mollle" then,
never MARY and very few knew her name amt
was Mary Jane. 1t was only in the last few
wears, since she had been less sprightly and
quick of foot, that he had called her Mary,
and she knew how nearly impatient ne was
when he called her Mary Jane She did not
mean TO worry him, but she could not get
around as she had used to, while he i'm
proved in appearance and capability every
year. She did not reason why 1t was, but
she felt the cause.
"a continual dropping viii wear away a
stone"
She was aroused from her reyerie by the
striking of the clock. She laid the baby, in
ftful feverish slumber, in his cradle, and
hastened to the work. When she had the
dishes washed and her hair combed, how
much better she should feel, she thought;
chickens, ducks and turkeys before then, so
that it was after three when at last the dish
es were washed and in their places. Rob
had come up for a jug of water for the men,
He was only eleven, but he could work; ms
father had seen to that. The sun was so
hot she wondered how the men could stand
beneath the scorching heat; and then the Ia
mliar sound of horses hoots. warned her
that her husband had returned. She stood
still by the door till she heard his voice
speaking to the horses, and then, in louder
tone:
She went out with her finger on her lips,
trembling lest his voice had awakened the
baby.
"Sun's awful hot" was his comment, as
ne piled her arms full Of packages.
''Wish you'd bring the swill-pail as you
come back. Those hogs haven't had bles-
sed mouthful to drink, I'll be bound, since
morning.
She could have said that she had watered
them time or two herself. but said nothing.
The large pail was nearly full Of swill, but
she carried it out, and used all her strength
to lift it to his reach as he sat there. He
turned to speak as he started off;
81 saw johnson, and he wanted butter, so
| let him have it on the account there. There
wasn't any left to get the calico, but | got it
myself so try and not get anything more till
you have marketing enough to get 1t, for
can't buy so much out of hand"
She watched him drive away, holding the
pail carefully poised over the wagon bed !;
but the next instant she was in the house.
There WAS cooking to do for supper, and ber-
ries to pick, and if the baby would only
sleepl She unrolled the calico. 1t needed
only a glance to tell her there was not
enough, and she soon saw the amount was
seven yards. She couldn't have her calico
dress after all, and her butter must go on
bill for blacksmithing; and she must take
slur from one who should have given her
better, because it had gone so deep in his
pocket, the forty-two cents which The had
paid himself for the calico There had
been over three dollars worth of butter
She sighed, and took up her burden again.
The baking was done when the baby walked,
and she thought he seemed better. She sat
him up in his high chair by the window. The
sky was cloudy now the men were hurrying
back and forth in the bayfield,, and Rob was
riding the rake. She picked her berries, and
had supper on the table as the men came in
at six O'clock, and the first big drops OF rain
descended
"How did your calico suit?" asked Mr.
Harris, as she handed him the coffee.
She looked in in the face.